Groupon eyes last-minute bookings with app
Jul 28, 2014
Groupon and other daily coupon sites such as LivingSocial represent a distribution channel that debuted in the wake of the recession. Still, Groupon continues to take a larger chunk of the travel-distribution market. The company's first-quarter gross billings rose 20%, after the site booked almost $700 million in travel last year.
The discount website is looking to goose its travel bookings by further tailoring its offerings to last-minute mobile-device bookers, after shedding its co-branding relationship with Expedia earlier this year.
Though Expedia continues to be a supplier for Groupon’s Market Picks inventory of properties, Groupon is going it alone and earlier this month debuted its Getaway Tonight mobile app that gives smartphone users a chance to shop for last-minute discounts while offering hoteliers another avenue to unload unused inventory.
“We’re moving closer to becoming a full-service inventory management solution for our partners,” said Groupon spokesman Nicholas Halliwell.
Get the full story at Travel Weekly